The PacBat Network in Action
Below are some of the examples of the PAcBat Network in Action. More to come soon!
Fiji Bat Conservation Initiative
NatureFiji-MareqetiViti, in collaboration with local and international stakeholders, has been undertaking bat research and conservation action since 2009. In 2017, the Fiji Bat Conservation Initiative (FBCI) was established to improve knowledge of Fiji's bats and better manage threats to their survival.
The success so far of the Fiji bat conservation program has only been possible through collaboration between the Fiji government, the scientific community, conservation NGOs in Fiji, and local communities that live around known bat roosts and caves. Under the guidance of (FBCI), a grant was secured for the National Trust of Fiji to purchase Fiji’s first bat sanctuary – Nakanacagi Cave Bat Sanctuary in Dreketi, Vanua Levu. The grant is a five-year program to help the National Trust of Fiji develop a management plan for the Bat Sanctuary. All the above work was implemented with Provincial offices of the Serua, Macuata, and Cakaudrove. Click here to read more! The FBCI is now contributing to the development of the Fiji National Bat Action Plan, led by NatureFiji-MareqetiViti. |
New Caledonia
New Caledonia is home to nine species of bats, including four species of fruit bats, three of which are endemic, and five species of small insectivorous bats, including three endemics. The main threats to these species are the destruction and fragmentation of natural habitats caused by fires, human development and mining activities, and invasive species.
As for the fruit bats, two of the species of flying foxes are hunted for consumption, notably by the Kanak community, the first Melanesian settlers, during the ceremony of the new yam each year, a particularly important event in this culture. Flying foxes are an important part of the cultural heritage of New Caledonian communities, as game and a delicacy, but also as an animal in itself, as they are the totem of some Kanak clans. These species are in strong decline and are also threatened by predation by feral cats, present on the whole archipelago, in addition to hunting and poaching. Scientific research is carried out in New Caledonia by the Institut Agronomique neo Caledonien (IAC) and its scientific partners in ecology, biology and conservation but also in social sciences to learn more about the species' relationship with humans.
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The provinces of New Caledonia with jurisdiction over the environment have regulations in their environmental codes and have them enforced by their nature rangers. A management program for flying foxes in the North Province has also started in 2021 with the objective of better preserving the flying fox population by taking into account the socio-cultural issues associated with these species and by involving the inhabitants in the reflections.
There is also an association for the conservation of bats: Association pour la Conservation des Chauves-Souris (ACCS). At present, little research has been conducted on small insectivorous bats.
There is also an association for the conservation of bats: Association pour la Conservation des Chauves-Souris (ACCS). At present, little research has been conducted on small insectivorous bats.